Complete Strategic Guide: Obtaining the RBQ 1.6 Licence – Submerged Civil Engineering Works Contractor

1. What Is the RBQ 1.6 Licence and Who Needs It?

The RBQ 1.6 licence — Submerged Civil Engineering Works Contractor (Entrepreneur en ouvrages de génie civil immergés) — is the most specialized civil engineering licence issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). It authorizes construction work on submerged civil engineering structures — structures built in, under, or adjacent to water. This includes:

• Water intakes, sewer outfalls, bridge piers and caissons;
• Dams (other than for electricity generation), dikes and locks;
• Port, canal and waterway dredging;
• Jetties, breakwaters, booms, moles and headrace canals;
• Cofferdams, basins, boat ramps and floating dock anchoring.

It also includes subcategories 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1 for civil engineering work. With 305 skills across 9 modules, this is the largest RBQ exam by skill count — reflecting the exceptional complexity and risk of working in submerged environments.

2. Scope of the Licence: Construction in and Under Water

The RBQ 1.6 is unique among all RBQ licences in its focus on submerged construction. Every aspect of this licence — from the technical knowledge to the safety requirements — is shaped by the challenge of building structures in water. This includes work in rivers, lakes, harbours, coastal waters, and any environment where construction occurs below the waterline.

The scope is remarkably diverse. A 1.6 licence holder may construct a cofferdam to dewater a bridge pier foundation, dredge a harbour channel, build a breakwater to protect a marina, install a water intake for a municipal water treatment plant, or anchor a floating dock system. Each type of work involves different engineering challenges, different construction methods, and different safety considerations — all tested on the exam.

The 1.6 also has a strong environmental dimension. Working in and around water directly impacts aquatic ecosystems. The Environment Quality Act and its 6 associated regulations, the Watercourses Act, and the Dam Safety Act all feature prominently in the exam, reflecting the strict regulatory framework governing submerged construction in Quebec.

3. RBQ Exam Format: What to Expect

• Question type: Multiple choice (MCQ)
• Duration: 3 hours (180 minutes)
• Passing grade: 60%
• Languages: French or English
• Skills assessed: 305 skills across 69 competency elements
• Exam type: Entirely closed book (no documents provided)
• Tools provided: Calculator, ruler, paper and pencil

With 305 skills, the RBQ 1.6 is the largest RBQ exam by skill count. Combined with a fully closed-book format and 21 documents to memorize, this is arguably the most demanding RBQ licence exam. Time pressure is significant — roughly 35 seconds per question with no documents to consult.

4. Exam Documentation: Entirely Closed Book

The RBQ 1.6 exam is entirely closed book. No documents are provided during the exam. All 21 reference documents must be memorized — a lighter document load than the 1.5 (27 documents), but the submerged-specific content adds unique memorization challenges.

All 21 Documents to MEMORIZE (Closed Book)

The closed-book documents fall into five main categories:

• Construction Law and Responsibilities — Building Act (CQLR, c. B-1.1), Regulation respecting the professional qualifications of contractors and owner-builders (c. B-1.1, r. 9), Civil Code of Quebec (c. C-1991), Criminal Code (s. 217.1), Engineers Act (c. I-9), and Regulation respecting concrete pumps (c. S-2.1, r. 9).
• Environment and Water — Environment Quality Act (CQLR, c. Q-2) and 6 associated regulations covering wetlands, environmental impacts, wastewater, shorelines and floodplains, contaminated soils, and residual materials.
• Water Regime and Dam Safety — Watercourses Act (CQLR, c. R-13) and Dam Safety Act (CQLR, c. S-3.1.01) — critical for all submerged structures affecting water flow and storage.
• Transportation and Navigation — Regulations governing work in navigable waterways, port areas, and marine transportation corridors.
• Occupational Health and Safety — Act respecting occupational health and safety, Safety Code for Construction Work, and regulations specific to diving, compressed air work, and underwater construction safety.

5. The 9 Training and Competency Modules

Module 1 — Definitions and Principles (28 skills — 9%)

Covers foundational definitions, terminology and concepts specific to submerged civil engineering: types of water bodies, tidal and current dynamics, underwater soil conditions, submerged construction materials, and the basic engineering principles underlying work in aquatic environments.

Module 2 — Types of Authorized Submerged Structures (20 skills — 7%)

Covers the full range of structures authorized under the 1.6 licence across 7 competency elements: water intakes and outfalls, bridge piers and caissons, dams, dredging operations, port and coastal structures (jetties, breakwaters, booms, moles), hydraulic control structures (dikes, locks, basins), and floating structures (cofferdams, boat ramps, floating docks).

Module 3 — Legislative and Regulatory Framework (25 skills — 8%)

Covers the 21 reference documents: construction law, environmental regulations specific to aquatic environments, the Watercourses Act, the Dam Safety Act, and occupational health and safety requirements for underwater work. All documents are closed book.

Module 4 — Development of Project Execution Phases (103 skills — 34%)

The most heavily weighted module on any RBQ exam. With 103 skills across 22 competency elements, this module alone represents over one-third of the total. It covers the entire project lifecycle for submerged civil engineering: sustainable development, design, planning, above-water and underwater site development, coordination, resource management, quality assurance, and the execution of all types of submerged works — cofferdam construction, port facility building, hydraulic structure installation, dredging operations, and underwater structural work.

Module 5 — Strength of Materials and Load Transfer (42 skills — 14%)

The second-heaviest module. Covers underwater concrete properties, steel in marine environments, geotechnics for submerged foundations, static and dynamic structural mechanics, cathodic protection systems, and underwater welding techniques. Material behaviour in water — corrosion, hydrostatic pressure, wave loading — is a central theme.

Module 6 — Reading and Interpreting Plans and Specifications (24 skills — 8%)

Covers the ability to read submerged civil engineering drawings, interpret geotechnical reports for underwater foundations, understand tide and current tables, and extract information from specifications specific to marine and submerged construction projects.

Module 7 — Estimation of Quantities and Costs (24 skills — 8%)

Covers quantity takeoff methods specific to submerged works: daily production calculation per diver, decompression table integration into scheduling, reinforcement tonnage for underwater concrete, swell factor for dredged material, and cost estimation for specialized marine equipment.

Module 8 — Worksite Safety Management (29 skills — 10%)

A critical module unique to the 1.6. Covers safety standards for diving and compressed air work, risks specific to work under and near water (depth, currents, turbidity, hypothermia, drowning), explosives handling in aquatic environments, underwater welding and cutting safety, formwork shoring in water, heavy lifting over and in water, and work near power lines. This module reflects the exceptional hazards of submerged construction.

Module 9 — Management of Submerged Construction Activities (10 skills — 3%)

Unique to the 1.6 licence — absent from all other RBQ exams. Covers procurement and logistics for marine construction, maintenance of specialized submerged work equipment (diving systems, barges, dredges, underwater cutting tools), and quality assurance protocols specific to work performed in submerged environments where visual inspection is limited.

6. Key Competencies and Technical Requirements (Official Context)

Cofferdam Construction: The Foundation of Submerged Work

Cofferdams — temporary enclosures used to dewater a construction area — are fundamental to most submerged civil engineering work. The exam tests knowledge of cofferdam types (sheet pile, cellular, earthen), design principles (hydrostatic pressure resistance, seepage control, stability against overturning), construction sequences, dewatering methods, and safety requirements. Module 4 dedicates multiple competency elements to cofferdam work, reflecting its central role in enabling dry construction conditions underwater.

Diving Safety and Compressed Air Work: A Unique Competency

Module 8 (29 skills, 10%) includes 14 skills specifically covering diving and compressed air safety — a competency found in no other RBQ licence. Candidates must understand decompression procedures, nitrogen narcosis risks, hypothermia prevention, underwater communication systems, emergency rescue procedures, and the regulatory requirements for commercial diving operations. The exam also tests knowledge of compressed air work in caissons and tunnels, including air pressure management, lock-in/lock-out procedures, and the medical surveillance requirements for workers in hyperbaric environments.

Underwater Concrete and Cathodic Protection

Module 5 includes specialized content on underwater concrete placement (tremie methods, concrete pumping, anti-washout admixtures) and cathodic protection systems for steel structures in marine environments. Corrosion is the primary enemy of submerged steel structures — candidates must understand both impressed current and sacrificial anode cathodic protection systems, as well as the monitoring and maintenance requirements for long-term corrosion prevention. These are highly specialized technical competencies that distinguish the 1.6 from other civil engineering licences.

Environmental Compliance in Aquatic Environments

Submerged construction directly impacts fish habitat, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems. The 6 environmental regulations under the Environment Quality Act are particularly relevant: wetland protection (many submerged works are in or near wetlands), environmental impact assessment for major projects, wastewater management during construction, and shoreline/floodplain protection. The Watercourses Act adds another layer of regulation governing any work that affects water flow. Candidates must understand when permits are required, what mitigation measures are expected, and how to plan construction activities to minimize environmental impact.

Dam Safety: Construction and Regulatory Compliance

The 1.6 licence covers dams other than those for electricity generation (hydro dams fall under the 1.5). This includes flood control dams, water supply reservoirs, tailings dams, and recreational lake dams. The Dam Safety Act establishes classification criteria, design standards, monitoring requirements, and emergency action plan obligations. Given the catastrophic consequences of dam failure — downstream flooding, loss of life, environmental destruction — this is one of the most safety-critical competencies on the exam.

Dredging Operations: Volume, Equipment and Environment

Port, canal and waterway dredging is a core competency of the 1.6. The exam tests knowledge of dredging methods (mechanical, hydraulic, suction), equipment types (clamshell, backhoe, trailing suction hopper), sediment disposal options (offshore, confined disposal facilities, beneficial reuse), and the environmental requirements for dredging in contaminated sediments. Module 7 includes specific skills for calculating dredge quantities, accounting for swell factor (dredged material expands by 20–40% when disturbed), and estimating production rates for different dredging equipment.

7. Preparation Strategy and Tips for Success

The RBQ 1.6 exam covers 305 skills across 9 modules — the largest skill count of any RBQ exam — with all 21 documents closed book. Here is a recommended strategy:

Phase 1 — Build a memorization system for the 21 documents. The exam is entirely closed book. Group documents by theme (construction law, environment/water, dam safety, transportation, OHS) and use Prof-RBQ.ca's flashcards with spaced repetition. The environmental and water-related documents deserve extra attention given the aquatic nature of the work.

Phase 2 — Dominate Module 4 (Project Execution Phases). With 103 skills (34% of the exam), this is the single most important module on any RBQ exam. Understand execution sequences for each type of submerged work: cofferdam construction, dredging, port facility building, hydraulic structure installation. Focus on the 22 competency elements and how they connect.

Phase 3 — Master Module 5 (Strength of Materials). With 42 skills (14%), focus on underwater-specific content: underwater concrete, cathodic protection, marine corrosion, hydrostatic pressure calculations, and geotechnics for submerged foundations.

Phase 4 — Don't neglect Module 8 (Worksite Safety). With 29 skills (10%), this module covers diving safety, compressed air work, and the unique hazards of submerged construction. These are life-safety competencies that the exam tests thoroughly.

Phase 5 — Complete full timed simulations. With 305 skills and zero open-book aids, time pressure is extreme — roughly 35 seconds per question. Practice under timed conditions to build speed and confidence.

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